Review: Obex
Albert Birney’s Obex is a curious portrait of computer immersion and a wistful ode to analog life.
FILM & TV
Shouldering Sanctuary documents Chicago under siege
The ongoing Truth & Documentary film project depicts Chicago at the epicenter of the Trump administration’s recent anti-immigrant crackdown.
Review: The Plague
The Plague is sometimes beautifully realized but ultimately hollow and frustrating.
Review: The Choral
While The Choral posits compelling thoughts about jingoism and the role of art in community, the film as a whole is a stodgy trifle.
Latest Stories
Michael Zerang, percussionist and accompanist
“There are all sorts of insights I gathered by working with dance and theater, puppet theater—insights I could bring into my music.”
Local shoegazers Griefeater celebrate one of the great unsung albums of 2025
Plus: Beloved UK DJ Gilles Peterson visits for two events with International Anthem, John Davis from Q and Not U discusses his new book on D.C. punk zines, and more
Monday Night Foodball hits two hundred pop-ups in 2026
Check out a brand-new lineup—full of OGs and upstarts—for the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Thattu.
Guitarist Wayne Bennett soared at side stage
His influential playing put a shine on beloved recordings by Otis Rush and Bobby “Blue” Bland, but he only ever cut one single under his own name.
This House Is Creaking want you to have as much fun with their indie-rock experiments as they do
Sat 1/17 at Lincoln Hall and Sat 1/24 at the Empty Bottle
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The legacy of America’s traqueros
A National Museum of Mexican Art exhibition highlights the little-known history of Mexican railroad workers.
Hannah Sandoz, DIY touring musician
“I’ve started managing my artist act as a business through things like tour managing and online daily content creation.”
The Reader is going monthly
We’ll return to print in early February 2026 shiny, thicc—and free and freaky as always.
Bier Omakase is the social lubricant beer drinkers need right now
Jenny Pfäfflin and Shana Solarte’s sudsy storytelling series is restoring connection and conversation to the craft beer scene.
Fred Hampton Jr. keeps the revolution alive in Chicago’s music scene
Through the Black Panther Party Cubs and the Hampton House, he builds on his father’s linkage of art and activism.
News & Politics
‘An impossible situation’
Beginning January 1, the City of Chicago will ban unhoused people on the sex offense registry from seeking shelter on public buses and trains.
Greg Bovino is back
Plus: city budget negotiations come down to the wire and the chief judge’s plan to “humanize” Cook County’s youth jail.
Droning on
Chicagoland law enforcement agencies fly surveillance drones outside the public eye.
Music
One-day festival Several States spotlights underappreciated emo bands of yore without cheap nostalgia
Sat 1/17 at the Ramova Theatre
Modern Nature’s Jack Cooper gets back to basics on The Heat Warps
Sat 1/17 at Constellation
Chicago trio Replicant start the year focused on a synthwave future
Sat 1/17 at Cobra Lounge
Film & TV
Reject the mainstream with Optical Noise
Film programmer Raphael Jose Martinez promotes discomfort, context, and conversation with a trio of cult double features at Facets.
Kat Sachs’s best in 2025 moviegoing
A top ten of repertory screenings paired with new releases
Review: Marty Supreme
Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, starring Timothy Chalamet, exhibits the risks of pursuing an ambitious American dream.
Theater, dance, comedy
The Unknown Variable takes a personal look at immigration and family separation
Nahal Navidar’s thoughtful and moving one-act finds a home with Momentary Theatre.
The Vivero celebrates new Latiné voices at City Lit
“This is our way of saying, ‘We want to help you with your art.’”
Improv: The Play at iO turns the actor’s nightmare into a dream team
Actors and improvisers come together to create a long-form show inspired by existing scripts.
Visual Arts, books
A taste of the forthcoming book Elvis is Dead, I’m Still Alive
The definitive guide to beloved ska musician Mike Park and his indie label Asian Man Records features Chicago’s 90s punk and indie rock scene.
Mirror Mirror 4 reflects 2dcloud’s rainstorm
The indie Chicago publisher reimagines its comics anthology as a magazine.
CITY LIFE
The Reader is going monthly
We’ll return to print in early February 2026 shiny, thicc—and free and freaky as always.
The frenzy and magic of birding
Chicago BIPOC Birders creates inclusive opportunities for year-round bird-watching and community building.
Food & Drink
Step into Chloe Gould’s Bronzeville home at DixiePura Kitchen
Inspired by her grandmother, Gould cooks American southern–southeast Asian cuisine while giving back to her community.
Bier Omakase is the social lubricant beer drinkers need right now
Jenny Pfäfflin and Shana Solarte’s sudsy storytelling series is restoring connection and conversation to the craft beer scene.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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Southeast Spotlight: A Southeast Chicago Chamber Special
Shining a light on local businesses to support this holiday season
The season of giving and gratitude is here. To acknowledge and honor another busy year, the Southeast Chicago…
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Empower Illinoisans affected by breast cancer and reduce stigma with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
You could call it the Instant Ticket that started it all. In 2006, the Illinois Lottery launched the…
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An excerpt from TAXI GIRL, a novel by Maria Schreiber
“All About Yogurt,” a four-minute read.
“All about Yogurt” Four-minute read On Monday, June 3, 1974, Tania and Dan began selling cartons of yogurt…
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At the California Clipper, everyone is welcome
The newly relaunched Humboldt Park lounge champions community, inclusivity, and fair labor practices Since the 1820s, Chicago’s pubs…
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Support local students pursuing higher education with your purchase of a 7X Bingo Multiplier Instant Ticket from the Illinois Lottery
The Illinois Lottery is nationally recognized for its pioneering work with specialty lottery tickets dedicated to raising awareness…
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Demystifying Acupuncture provides answers for the curious skeptic
Acupuncture is a form of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) that involves the placement of hair-thin needles into…